Play games on SSD that are stored on HDD help

[WickedLucky]

I got a new SSD for Fallout 4 that I'm using as my Win 7 boot drive and want to know if I can access and play games that are stored on my old main HDD without having to transfer the games from the HDD to the SSD. The SSD is only 128g and my HDD is 500g. I have already loaded Windows on to the new SSD and updated all the drivers. Thanks in advance!

[Revelene]

You can play the games off of whatever drive they are installed on.

[WickedLucky]

I think what I'm trying to say is that when i launch Steam on my new SSD and click Library, none of the games show up because they are all stored on my old HDD. Is there a way I can access them and play them without copying the game files from the HDD to the SSD?

[Revelene]

Originally posted by WickedLucky:

I think what I'm trying to say is that when i launch Steam on my new SSD and click Library, none of the games show up because they are all stored on my old HDD. Is there a way I can access them and play them without copying the game files from the HDD to the SSD?

Why did you install Steam on the SSD? You already had Steam installed on your HDD, correct? You literally just had to plug it in, format it and assign a letter, and then download a game off Steam. When it comes up and asks for the install location, you change it to the SSD and create a secondary directory.

I don't know exactly what you did... but you did something wrong.

[WickedLucky]

This is the first time i've had more than one hard drive. I'm not a pro at any of this so thanks for bearing with me. I bought a new SSD and it made sense to me to install windows on it. I just thought that if I'm using windows on my new SSD drive and launch Steam that there could be a way that I could access and play games that are stored on the old HDD without having to move or reinstall them on the new SSD. If there isn't, or it is more difficult than just assuming I can redirect where steam wants to run a game from, than that's fine. I can always wipe the new SSD drive and reinstall windows or do whatever needs to be done. I just don't/didn't know the process or the best way to do what I would like my machine to do.

[Revelene]

Originally posted by WickedLucky:

This is the first time i've had more than one hard drive. I'm not a pro at any of this so thanks for bearing with me. I bought a new SSD and it made sense to me to install windows on it. I just thought that if I'm using windows on my new SSD drive and launch Steam that there could be a way that I could access and play games that are stored on the old HDD without having to move or reinstall them on the new SSD. If there isn't, or it is more difficult than just assuming I can redirect where steam wants to run a game from, than that's fine. I can always wipe the new SSD drive and reinstall windows or do whatever needs to be done. I just don't/didn't know the process or the best way to do what I would like my machine to do.

Steam was already installed on the HDD, correct? You don't need Steam on the SSD. Just delete it from your SSD and use the executable (exe) for Steam on the HDD. If everything was left intact, then it should popup. It might say that it is missing something, but ignore it as it will fix it all by itself once it launches. Then you should be able to see your library.

To install on your SSD from this point, simply click 'install' on the game you want to install. When the box pops up, change the install location to the SSD.

[Elon Mosque]

You dont have to re install your games just go to Steam>Settings>Downloads>Steam Library Folders then add your HDD it will be fine.

[Revelene]

Originally posted by THE ANGEL OF DEATH:

You dont have to re install your games just go to Steam>Settings>Downloads>Steam Library Folders then add your HDD it will be fine.

This would work but would leave him with two Steam exe's. Might as well run Steam from the HDD and delete Steam from the SSD. Extra junk is never good.

[Beardface31]

Confusing post. You need to transfer the games or install them onto the SSD to play them from the SSD.

Steam should be installed on your HDD you keep it as free as possible, and you can create Steam library on your SSD as well, just create the path when you install the game.

[WickedLucky]

Originally posted by Beardface:

Confusing post. You need to transfer the games or install them onto the SSD to play them from the SSD.

Steam should be installed on your HDD you keep it as free as possible, and you can create Steam library on your SSD as well, just create the path when you install the game.

I'm sorry for all the confusion. I'm a bigger noob than I thought apparently. Let me try one last time to word what I would like to do, and see if it is possible at this stage:

I have a normal rig with a 500g HDD and last week I bought a new 128g SSD which I loaded windows on and made my boot drive for my computer. I want to install only Fallout 4 on the SSD drive and use it as a primary drive for web browsing and normal internet use.
At this point, Steam is installed on both the HDD and the SSD. I was hoping to have Fallout 4 stored on the SSD with my other library still intact on the old HDD and was wondering if I can play the games on the HDD through my SSD's OS without having to move the game to the SSD so that it is taking up the space on the storage drive. At this point I don't think this is possible.

[Snapjak]

Leave Steam on the HDD. It does not benefit at all from the SSD.
Make a library on the SSD for the games you want to run off it.

Steam > Settings > Downloads > Manage Steam Library Folders.

[WickedLucky]

Originally posted by THE ANGEL OF DEATH:

You dont have to re install your games just go to Steam>Settings>Downloads>Steam Library Folders then add your HDD it will be fine.

This seems to have worked! I'm having trouble with a couple of games though, It won't launch Fallout New Vegas.